This picture has cost me a 200 EUR fine because a few minutes after it, a ranger was passing by and well, you can imagine what came next...it is strictly forbidden to handle snakes in Israel and they indeed don't joke with this rule
It's strictly forbidden to handle snakes in many other "civilised" countries as well, including yours and mine, but
in most cases they do "joke" with this rule... or just show some human understanding for the reality, or whatever
one might call it. Sorry for your bad luck, and nothing against Israel as a state of law. The problem is, rangers
can rather easily find (and fine) the innocent fieldherpers, but it's much more difficult to find (and fine) the real
poachers. In any country - has nothing to do with the particular example.